MemberChris Donnelly

Making headway

You know at times it seems time drags? Well that’s the feeling I’ve had lately, and its not like me at all. Six years in addictions and counselling education is quite a while mind. I asked myself what am I feeling right now and reframed why. And I was doing too much. I’ve had a couple of days chilling and I am firing on all cylinders again.

I went to the solicitor about registering my company. What? Two 2 grand to do the paperwork for a C.I.C? No way. So I did it myself with a bit of effort for the £35 registration fee. It took a bit of doing like Recovery, needed some focus and didn’t get it right the first attempt.

It’s good news as the gap in the community for veterans with PTSD in Northumberland will be filled full time from August. When I left the Military I was lost and did not have a clue on how to access treatment or find my way. So I’ll reflect on what I didn’t get and give it to others.

5 comments - First published on: 17/03/2010

Self medication hypotheses

I was researching for my studies and more importantly looking for relevant knowledge to improve my skills. I know their are many hypotheses for addiction and I particularly like this one as my work is mainly with PTSD, mental health and addiction, where on average soldiers do not present to treatment for 10 years.

I found a passage I would like to share and in the book Understanding Addiction as Self Medication by Edward J. Khantzian M.D. and Mark.J. Albanese,M.D:

“Once addicts use and become involved with drugs,they discover that the drugs not only produce relief but also produce and control the vagueness, confusion,and bewilderment associated with their feelings. That is, at the same time that addicts relieve distressing states with drug effects,they also convert the more vague and confusing aspects of their feeling life from a passive experience into an active one.

Substance abusers actively replace pre-existing passively experienced admixtures of pain, dysphoria,and emptiness with admixtures of analgesia, relief, dysphoria and distress produced by the drug and its after effects.

As we previously suggested,language such as ‘altered states of consciousness’ or ‘mood altering drugs’ are commonly used to explain drug urges. In our opinion,the word is ‘alter’ and the motive to change ‘consciousness’ or ‘mood’ is misleading.

When individuals use drugs,they change qualities and quantities of feelings,and more importantly they succeed in substituting uncontrolled suffering with controlled suffering. Replacing a dysphoria that they do not understand with a drug-induced dysphoria that they do understand.”

Ive found this is very educational for the affected individual, as it explains to them how they have come to be in their present state. Then of course we can move them with a Recovery intervention into a more manageable life free from dual-diagnosis.

I got loads out of the above authors’ opinions and I hope others do. As I said, on average veterans do not seek help for around ten years and self medicate to alleviate feelings of distress and pain whilst the illness builds up psychosocial chaos without realising were they are headed. The MOD would be advised to offer guided imagery before discharge from the military to help manage the PTSD that may surface at any time later in their lives.

9 comments - First published on: 24/02/2010

Asking for feedback

Part of my week was spent asking for feedback from a couple of my clients who have made good headway in their personal recovery from alcoholism. I’m all for medically assisted recovery from alcoholism. If it’s appropriate get medication to help you.

I suffered and struggled in my own early recovery with relapse to alcohol and do not like to see people suffering.

I have a couple of clients with relapse history to going back on the drink so, working with the GP, recommended Acamprosate and its working great. I asked about any side effects and the answer was, “I feel nothing, no high, no cravings, no anxiety”, which was nice to hear. And my feedback request, an intervention interaction, meant everyone was benefiting including myself.

Im taking great pride in getting to know all my drugs and pharmacology with benefits, half-lifes, dosage, side effects and interactions with other medications taken. This helps when you’re negotiating with others in the care plan such as taking someone to the doctors. I also encourage and educate the client on their condition and promote responsibility.

I must remember to eat more regularly when I’m busy. I can forget the oven is on so that’s where I’m heading. Then it’s finishing off a (SMH) Self Medication Hypotheses for an addictions book, before a recovery meeting tonight.

4 comments - First published on: 14/02/2010

Taking the blame out of addiction

I was reflecting on my own addiction, as it’s Sunday, my regular inventory day.

It took a long time before I realised I was addicted, as I had no control over the process happening in my mind and body. I drank initially as part of my culture, and liked the feeling I got. Not knowing that the feeling was stress relief that would change in time – requiring larger amounts of alcohol to get the same effect.

My body’s tolerance level would change as would my homeostasis, which is the bodies ability to naturally maintain a balance, becoming allostasis, which I now understand to be I was becoming addicted without realising that I would lose control. My behaviour gradually became unmanageable from sleeping-in, to losing my wife, home, identity and almost my life.

The blame that lies is with the substance that has a different affect on different individual’s stress levels. The key to my not relapsing is to stay as stress free as possible and my goal is to lead a balanced life.The key to achieving my goal of being free from addiction and find a spiritual self was within myself all along.

My body’s chemistry just did not want chemicals that changed its balance and made me feel different, I no longer have to seek out what I do not need.This gives me an immense feeling of freedom.

I thought I would share my Sunday inventory with unity in mind with fellow addicts today.I am glad I am not alone and value and feel for everyone in recovery.

12 comments - First published on: 07/02/2010